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Bryan Acton
I am fascinated by adopting novel statistical and programming techniques for studying complex system dynamics including leadership in teams. This includes designing simulations using agent-based models to generate data describing complex systems, using predictive models to better understand complex data, and communicating data-driven insights from web applications made in Shiny.
Education
Ph.D, Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA
2020 - 2016
- Dissertation: Using Agent-Based Modeling to Test and Integrate Process-Oriented Perspectives of Leadership Emergence
- Summa Cum Laude
- “Favorite Faculty Award” (Student Services)
M.S., Psychology
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA
2016 - 2014
- Thesis: Working in Harmony: The Impact of Personality on the Short- and Long-Run Dynamics of Team Cohesion
B.A., Psychology
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
North Adams, MA
2013 - 2009
- Honors Program
- Summa Cum Laude
Research Experience
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Durham University Business School
Durham, UK
Current - 2020
- Working on multiple projects including a lead on a project investigating identity invention dynamics in college students in the UK. Developed entire script in R for measuring identity dynamics using dynamical systems perspective developed by Dr. Steven Bolker and colleagues.
- Taught multiple R workshops to faculty and staff across multiple subjects such as text transcription and basic data wrangling.
- Have multiple publications and book chapters either out for review or in preparation with submission in the coming months. Also working on putting together new funding proposal with Army Research Institute with Dr. Robert Lord and colleagues on using predictive modeling to assess memory processing in items used in leadership scales.
Lab Coordinator and Graduate Research Assistant
Interface of Leadership and Teams Lab (PI: Dr. Roseanne Foti)
Virginia Tech
2019 - 2016
- Worked with team of faculty, as only Graduate Assistant for Army Research Institute Basic Research Grant Titled: Episodic and Semantic Memory Effects on Leadership Measurement and Prediction of Leadership Outcomes. Also was ILT lab coordinator for two years.
- Led data collection across three different studies, two using online sampling (N > 3000), and one in-lab study with army corps of cadets (N > 250).
- Designed multiple tools for both data collection and data analysis, including a python program to code linguistic features of leadership items, random forest models (using R) for predicting memory processing of leadership judgements, and an experimental procedure using PsychoPy.
As a part of my role as lab coordinator for two years in the ILT lab, I have directly mentored more than 5+ undergraduates. I am excited to share that 5 of these students continued onto masters programs, and two continued onto doctoral programs.
Publications
Acton, Braun, & Foti (2020) was awarded an annual “Editors Commendation” award for notable papers of the year
Teaching Experience
Power and Status (PSYC 42115)
Durham University, Psychology Masters Program
Durham, UK
2021 - 2021
- Taught two separate 3-hour lectures. The first was an Intro to leadership lecture and the second was an inclusive leadership lecture.
- Graduate level class with Masters students taught via Zoom
Industry Experience
Advisor on Implementation Science Committee
Promote Care Prevent Harm
https://promotecarepreventharm.org/advisors
Present - 2021
- Lead developer on shiny application used to collect data and assess development of self-regulation in schools
Summer Graduate Assistant
Office of the Provost
Virginia Tech
2017 - 2017
- Assisted in creating evaluation tool for University’s “new faculty grant”
- Co Authored article published in special issue of journal of society of women engineers
Professional Graduate Assistant
University Office of Professional Development (UOPD)
Virginia Tech
2016 - 2015
- Designed/distributed questionnaires for UOPD’s professional development programs using Qualtrics
- Shadowed/assisted various speakers during UOPD’s organizational development workshops
Blogs Written (About)
Introduction to R blog with resources
bpacton.com
N/A
2021
A system for taking integrated reading notes via zotero, zettlr, and R markdown
bpacton.com
N/A
2021
The purpose of agent based modeling to study collectives and a minimal example
bpacton.com
N/A
2020
Workshops Taught
Transcribing text and initial text analysis using R
Durham University Centre for Leadership & Followership
N/A
8/2021
- Taught 2-hour long workshop to smaller group of faculty and graduate students
- Covered how to use “TranscribeR” package and “tidytext” package in R to analyze text data
Introduction to the Tidyverse and data analysis in R
Virginia Tech ILT Lab
N/A
2/2021
- Taught 1.5 hour long workshop to a small group of PhD students and undergraduates
I have my data. Now what? A tutorial on data cleaning, wrangling, and initial analysis via R
Durham University PhD Students
N/A
12/2020
- Taught 2-hour long workshop which served as an introduction to R for social scientists to a group of 20+ PhD Students
Conference Presentations
An application and tutorial for creating within-person memory-sourced leadership scales
Speaker & Lead Author
Academy of Management Annual Conference
2021
- Authored with Drs. Robert Lord, Tiffany Keller Hansbrough and Roseanne Foti
More than Liking: The Role of Memory Systems and Language in Leadership Ratings
Lead author on Poster
Society of Industrial Organizational Psychology Annual Conference
2021
- Authored with Drs. Robert Lord, Tiffany Keller Hansbrough and Roseanne Foti
Assessing the Impact of Self-Identity on Organizational Outcomes Using an Implicit Measure
Speaker & Lead Author
Academy of Management Annual Conference
2020
- Authored with Drs. Robert Lord, Tiffany Keller Hansbrough and Roseanne Foti
Capturing the Process of Cohesion Emergence Using Continuous Rating Assessments.
Author, Speaker & Organized Symposium
Society of Industrial Organizational Psychology Annual Conference
2019
- Authored with Dr. Charles Calderwood and Zach Mastrich
Ready & Willing: Assessing Profiles of Leader/Follower Self-Schemas.
Author & Speaker
Society of Industrial Organizational Psychology Annual Conference
2019
- Authored with Dr. Roseanne Foti
Agent-Based Modeling: Current and Future Directions in Organizational Psychology.
Co-Author on Poster
Society of Industrial Organizational Psychology Annual Conference
2019
- Authored with Dr. Trevin Glasgow & Dr. Roseanne Foti
An Examination of Psychological Collectivism Using Item Response Theory.
Co-Author on Poster
Society of Industrial Organizational Psychology Annual Conference
2018
- Authored with C. Du & Dr. Roseanne Foti
Putting two-and-two together: Using sociometric measures to capture cohesion emergence
Speaker & Lead Author
Society of Industrial Organizational Psychology Annual Conference
2017
- Authored with Dr. Michael Braun
Increasing the Power to Detect Adverse Impact in Small Selection Contexts.
Co-Author on Poster
Society of Industrial Organizational Psychology Annual Conference
2017
- Authored with Dr. Maureen McCusker, Derek Burns, Nathan Wycoff, & Dr. Neil Hauenstein
The Role of the “Mere Presence Effect” in the Development of Intra-Group Cohesion.
Lead author on Poster
Society for Personality & Social Psychology
2017
- Authored with Drs. Yashna Shah, Danny Axsom, & Roseanne Foti
I have many more conference presentations. If you are interested in an expanded list, please email me.
Social Psychology (PSYC 2048)
Virginia Tech, Psychology Department
Blacksburg, VA
2017 - 2016